Elsie Tanner
Elsie Tanner (Nee Grimshaw) was a character in Coronation Street from Episode 1 (9 Dec 1960) to 1973. She returned in April 1976 but left for good in Ep 2375 - 4 Jan 1984. She was one of the most iconic characters in the shows history. Elsie was quite fierce but vulnerable underneath. Elsie was the mother of Linda Cheveski and Dennis Tanner. Elsie was played by actress Pat Phoenix. Biography Backstory Elsie Grimshaw was born on the 5th March 1923 in a tenement block in Gas Street, Weatherfield. She was the daughter of Arthur Grimshaw and Alice Grimshaw. 9 more siblings followed over the next 13 years, including a sister Fay Grimshaw in 1924. In 1939 aged just 16, Elsie married Arnold Tanner. She was pregnant at the time. Their first child Linda Tanner was born in January 1940. Arnold and Elsie had a son Dennis Tanner in April 1942. This means that Elsie was a married women and a mother twice over by her 20th birthday in March 1943. Elsie and Arnold had a rocky marriage and lived in Coronation Street at Number 11 Coronation Street. Elsie sold frocks for a living. Elsie had a habit of being a bit of a maneater and had an eye for the men. 1960-1973 Elsie was 37 years old in December 1960. She accused Dennis of stealing from her. Elsie was quite unlucky in love and her marriage to Arnold was virtually over. Elsie flirted on and off with Len Fairclough. In 1961 Elsie accused arch enemy Ena Sharples of sending her an anonymous poison pen letter. Ena said she would have signed it if she had sent it. Elsie had a fling with Bill Gregory in the early 1960s. Elsie and Ena often argued "Lay 1 finger on me Mrs Sharples and you won't be needing that hairnet. You'll have no flamin' hair left". In 1967, Elsie married American soldier Steve Tanner. By chance, they had the same surname. In 1970 Elsie married Alan Howard. In 1973 she moved with him to Newcastle. 1976-1984 Elsie Tanner returned to Weatherfield again in April 1976 and intended to stick around. She took in lodgers Gail Potter and Suzie Birchall. Elsie worked for Mike Baldwin at his factory and became a supervisor. Elsie was involved in a few love triangles, including one where the wife of the man she was dating arrived in Coronation Street and ransacked her house in 1981. The man Elsie spent the night with was Bill Fielding. His wife had heard Elsie was a tart. Elsie turned 60 in March 1983. She banished Suzie Birchall from Weatherfield for spreading malicious rumours about Gail and Brian. In January 1984, Elsie was paid a visit by her old flame Bill Gregory. It was quite sudden. He suggested that she come to Portugal with him. She "ummed and arred", saying she liked Weatherfield. After some more persuasion, Elsie finally relented and agreed to go to Portugal with him. She packed a few things and contacted her daughter Linda Cheveski to sort out the bills until Elsie sells the house. That dark night on the 4th January 1984, Elsie ordered a taxi to pick her up outside The Rovers Return. Before the taxi arrived she had one last look around Coronation Street and reminisced about her many arguments with Ena Sharples. Elsie posted a not through the Barlow's letterbox to say she was heading off for pastures new. The taxi arrived and the driver asked how long she was going away for. Elsie said "Ah now there's a question". Elsie got into the taxi and the taxi drove off into the night, as Elsie again left Weatherfield, this time forever. Post 1984 Elsie Tanner cut all ties with Weatherfield once she went to Portugal with Bill Gregory in January 1984. Her daughter Linda Cheveski returned to Weatherfield and sold No 11 to Bill Webster. For the next 20 years from January 1984 to 2004, Elsie settled into life in the sun and died in a car crash in 2004 aged 81 along with Bill. Dennis spoke of this to Rita Sullivan upon his return to Weatherfield in 2011. Legacy The style of Elsie Tanner lived on in characters such as Bet Lynch, Denise Osbourne and Carla Connor, all of who had Elsie's ferocity but were always vulnerable underneath. Denise even looked like Elsie. In 2011 it was revealed that Eileen Grimshaw and her sons Todd Grimshaw and Jason Grimshaw were distant cousins to Elsie. Dennis Tanner mentioned that his mother Elsie Tanner's maiden name was Grimshaw. It turned out that Eileen's father Colin Grimshaw and Elsie were first cousins due to their fathers being brothers. In 2017, Eileen married villainous Pat Phelan, meaning the nasty builder is a distant marriage relative of the late Elsie Tanner. In 2017 Rita (who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour) mentioned to Gemma Winter about people from her past who are now gone, with Elsie being one of them. The tumour was benign and not life threatening. Trivia *Elsie was hinted as being 40 in 1960 but later episodes say she was born in March 1923 so would be 37 in 1960. She had her 41st birthday in March 1964. By then the writers had given a 1923 birthdate for the character. Elsie did look younger than her age. In March 1977, Elsie celebrated her 54th birthday (calculated from other scripts) but would not tell how old she was, not even Rita. Elsie said she was just a couple of years older than Rita (born 1932). And the rest Elsie, more like 9 years. *Elsie died in 2004 aged 81 with Bill Gregory. If Elsie had lived and was alive in 2018 she would be 95 years old. *It is unknown if she took on the surname Gregory after marrying Bill. *In 1968, Elsie said she would carry on loving men until she was 77. This must mean she and Bill Gregory went platonic on the 5th March 2000 - her 77th birthday. Memorable info Appearances: 9 January 1960–3 October 1973, 5 April 1976–4 January 1984 Born: 5th March 1923, 18 Gas Street, Weatherfield, Lancashire Died: c.2004, Portugal Parents: Arthur Grimshaw and Alice Grimshaw Siblings: Fay Butler (Nee Grimshaw), Phyllis Bailey, Polly Grimshaw, Jack Grimshaw, Ethel Grimshaw, Connie Grimshaw, Iris Grimshaw, Freda Grimshaw, Nancy Grimshaw Spouses: Arnold Tanner (1939-1961), Steve Tanner (1967-1968), Alan Howard (1971-1978), Bill Gregory (1984-c.2004) Children: Linda Cheveski (1940), Dennis Tanner (1942) Grandchildren: Paul Cheveski, Martin Cheveski First cousins: A cousin in Hartlepool, Arnley Grimshaw, Colin Grimshaw First cousins once removed: Eileen Grimshaw, Julie Carp First Cousins Twice Removed: Jason Grimshaw, Todd Grimshaw First cousins thrice removed: Billy Platt Gallery ''Coronation Street'' elsie first appearance 1960.png|Elsie Tanner in the first episode (9th December 1960) Dennis and Elsie 1960.jpg|Elsie teaches her son Dennis a bit of discipline. Corrie elsie returns 1976.png|Elsie returns to the street in 1976 after 3 years away. Corrie stelsie wedding 1967.png|Steve and Elsie marry in 1967. Corrie 14 aug 1978.png|Elsie in 1978. LCTanner.png|Elsie in 1980. corrie elsie in no 11.png|Elsie gets ready to leave Weatherfield forever. corrie elsie last ever shot.png|Elsie speaking her last ever line in the show as she leaves Weatherfield forever. Other appearances Debbie Rush Elsie Tanner.png|Debbie Rush as Elsie Tanner for the Text Santa appeal in 2015 Category:Coronation Street Characters. Category:Past characters. Category:Characters first seen in 1960. Category:Characters last seen in 2020. Category:Tanners. Category:Grimshaws. Category:1923 births Category:1939 marriages Category:1967 marriages Category:1970 Marriages Category:1984 Marriages Category:Deaths circa 2004 Category:Characters in The War Years Saga Category:Frock sellers Category:Baldwins Casuals Factory Staff Category:Factory Supervisors Category:Bar Owners Category:1960s arrivals Category:1960s Category:1970s Category:1980s Category:1980s departures Category:Deceased characters Category:Iconic Coronation Street characters Category:Characters who died offscreen Category:Original Characters